"And so Professor Althouse titled her post, “Is radical Muslim the new Goth?“

This is offensive on so many levels. It is not a kind comment. And while it may have been said half in jest, it is based on inaccurate stereotypes..."

I wasn't aware that Goths were so offendable or concerned with stereotyping.

Then again, when you have narrow tastes and preferences, hang out at the same places with people who all look and act like you do, don't be surprised when you get streotyped. Also might not want to think of yourself as "an individualist" either.

A couple of stores my kids like to buy stuff at in the mall tend to have goth looking employees. I've found the goth employees to be a notch above typical mall salespeople.

In one store, where my daughter bought some shoes, one of the goth guys played the guitar and sang us a song while she tried on shoes. It was all in good fun, quite hilarious and we all laughed about it. The most fun I think I've ever had in a store. And, we bought the shoes.

I think Jayne sums it up pretty well. One of my daughters went through a goth period. She was never a quiet kid, but always needed lots of attention. A real attention sponge. I've never seen a black Goth. In fact most of them are very pale--more than just due to the black clothes and makeup. Usually chubby and pasty. Too much time indoors. I hate the look, and the pseudointellectualism, but most of them I've been acquainted with seem decent. The Goth-voudoun priest who had his dentist make his dentures with slightly longer than normal canines--who used to babysit my grandkids-- is kind of weird, but has always been nice enough to me. Some are really angry. Some want to make up their own religion--maybe so they get to be god.

AA does not fit that model at all. She's too logical, too cheerful, too appreciative of color, and if she had any Goth inclinations, Crack Emcee would not come around here.

I just don’t think it is reasonable to claim goths are a "Nazi wannabe cult". I have yet to meet a goth with any real political identity or goals as they tend to be more interested in music, concerts, and fashion than in any sort of political movement or organization. To my surprise, Wikipedia actually has a decent article about the goth culture and it makes specific mention of their general lack of a unified political ideology. Your attack on them strikes me as similar to the attacks on Tea Partiers - attacks based upon preconceived notions that do not necessarily represent the reality.

People can often make flip and hyberbolic comments online that, while emotionally satisfying, are not terribly useful in advancing conversation. I think you comment falls into that category. While I too made use of hyperbole in my first comment towards you, it was intended to serve as an illustration of how serious I thought your comment had been. Obviously, by that I mean not very.

Sadly, because of flippant use of terms like racism, fascism, Nazi, etc… they have become so devalued as to be near meaningless. Just cries of racism and Nazism will be ignored because they have been drowned out by their gratuitous use. Therefore, I urge people to use such terms with great care and deliberation in an attempt to restore their value and to ensure we can properly identify real evil where it occurs.

Pundit Joe...The use of the term Nazi is over done. That Acronym correctly refers to the political organisation that suddenly took control over the German people in 1932. Before there was a Nazi Party, there were German practitioners of traditional Egyptian Witchcraft that by 1905 had lured a certain silly Austrian paperhanger into a deep practice of the the silly Madame Blavatski's secret doctrines. This is not top secret stuff anymore. But it is still seriously dangerous stuff no matter how much fun we pretend Goth people are having with it today.

TraditionalGuy…It term may be overused, but in this case you seem to sincerely believe it to be accurate. Please explain which goth traits have drawn inspiration from Blavatsky’s work? Can you demonstrate the linkage?